RFID Tags in Wearables

ABSTRACT

An article of manufacture comprises a wearable, stretchable article comprising stretchable material. The wearable, stretchable article is selected from a group comprising: clothing, a hat, a headband, a wristband, socks, footwear, handwear, shorts, or an undergarment. At least one RFID tag is mounted on the wearable, stretchable article and includes a stretch-activated switch on the at least one RFID tag. The stretch-activated switch has a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is associated with a first RFID tag state and the second mode is associated with a second RFID tag state. The stretch-activated switch comprises a ground contact, an RFID enable contact and a contact to slidably engage the ground contact and the RFID enable contact to transition between the first RFID tag state and the second RFID tag state.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/224,640, filed Dec. 18, 2018, entitled “RFIDTags in Wearables”, which is a continuation of and claims priority toU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/360,909, filed Nov. 23, 2016,entitled “RFID Tags in Wearables” the entire disclosures of which arehereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags have been used, in the past,in connection with clothing in order to perform inventory control andtrack movement of the clothing through distribution channels. However,as the technology progresses, challenges continue to be presented tothose who design and employ RFID tags.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of RFID tags in wearables are described with reference tothe following Figures. The same numbers may be used throughout toreference like features and components that are shown in the Figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an operating environment in which embodiments ofwearables having RFID tags can be implemented.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system including an RFID tag and RFID reader inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example stretch-activated switch in an RFID tag inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example method in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system including an RFID tag and RFID reader inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a contact-activated switch in an RFID tag inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a system including an RFID tag and RFID reader inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example method in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates various components of an example device that canimplement embodiments of smart clothes cleaning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of RFID tags in wearable textile articles are described. Awearable textile article, such as a piece of clothing, for example, caninclude a RFID tag that is implemented to share information about orassociated with a manufacturer, about or associated with the wearabletextile article itself, and/or about or associated with a wearer of thewearable textile article.

In at least some embodiments, the wearable textile article comprises astretchable textile or fabric, although such need not be the case.Different types of stretchable textiles exist including two-way stretchfabrics which stretch in one direction and four-way stretch fabricswhich stretch in both directions—crosswise and lengthwise. Stretchabletextiles or fabrics come in a wide variety of types including, by way ofexample and not limitation, spandex, vinyl, velvet, denim, cotton, wool,polyester, and the like. These types of stretchable textiles or fabricscan be used in a wide variety of so-called “wearables” such as clothing,hats, headbands, wristbands, socks, footwear, handwear, shorts,undergarments and the like, to name just a few. In at least someembodiments, a wearable includes at least one RFID tag mounted thereon.The RFID tag includes a stretch-activated switch having first and secondmodes. Each mode of the stretch-activated switch is associated with anRFID tag state—such as a first and second state, respectively.

The first mode corresponds to one of a stretched mode or an un-stretchedmode, while the second mode corresponds to the other of the stretchedmode or un-stretched mode. The stretched mode refers to a mode in whichthe wearable is stretched. The un-stretched mode corresponds to a modein which the wearable is not stretched.

In some embodiments, the first state corresponds to one of an activatedstate or an un-activated state and the second state corresponds to theother of the activated state or un-activated state. The activated statecorresponds to a state in which the RFID tag is operational for itsintended purpose. Such intended purpose can include, by way of exampleand not limitation collecting data, receiving transmitted data, and/ortransmitting data. The un-activated state corresponds to a state inwhich the RFID tag is less or differently operational than when in theactivated state.

In at least some embodiments, a wearable includes at least one RFID tag.The RFID tag includes a contact-activated switch having first and secondmodes. The contact-activated switch enables automatic selection of atleast one of the first or second modes without requiring a user tophysically toggle a dedicated hardware on/off switch. Each mode of thecontact-activated switch is associated with an RFID tag state—such as afirst and second state, respectively.

The first mode corresponds to one of a contact mode or a non-contactmode, while the second mode corresponds to the other of the contact modeor non-contact mode. The contact mode refers to a mode in which the RFIDtag is in contact with a user. The non-contact mode corresponds to amode in which the wearable is not in contact with the user.

In some embodiments, the first state corresponds to one of a firstoperational state or a second different operational state and the secondstate corresponds to the other of the first operational state or thesecond different operational state. In at least some embodiments, thefirst operational state is associated with the RFID tag transmitting afirst set of data and the second different operational state isassociated with the RFID tag transmitting a second different set ofdata. Examples of sets of data include, by way of example and notlimitation, manufacturing data such as that which can enable inventorycontrol, wearable-specific data, wearable-specific data that can enablewearable handling such as that used by smart wearable-processing devicessuch as cleaning machines like washers and dryers, user specific data,user-specific physical data collected about the physical user by one ormore sensors on the RFID tag, and the like.

In various embodiments, an RFID reader can be used to interrogate a RFIDtag on a wearable textile article, and receive a response from the RFIDtag.

In some embodiments, a cleaning machine automatically identifiescleaning instructions associated with a load of wearable textilearticles using an RFID reader. That is, at least some of the wearabletextile articles in the load include a respective RFID tag that providesinformation to the cleaning machine. The information can includeinformation about the wearable textile article, handling instructionsand the like. In turn, the cleaning machine can configure variouscleaning settings based upon the information. Some embodiments identifyincompatibilities between the various cleaning settings and the variouswearable textile articles, and provide a notification of thisincompatibility for a user. When the various cleaning settings arecompatible, some embodiments automatically start a cleaning cycle.

While features and concepts of an RFID in wearables can be implementedin any number of different devices, systems, environments, and/orconfigurations, embodiments of the RFID in wearables are described inthe context of the following example devices, systems, and methods.

EXAMPLE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates an example operating environment generally at 100. Inthis example, the operating environment includes an individual wearing awearable textile article in the form of a stretchable workout outfit.The stretchable workout outfit includes an RFID tag 102 fixed orotherwise mounted to waistband of the stretchable workout outfit. Thewaistband is stretchable in the direction of arrow A. The RFID tag 102includes RFID hardware 104 and one or more RFID antennas 106. The RFIDhardware and antenna(s) operate as described below.

The RFID tag 102 also includes a stretch-activated switch having firstand second modes. Each mode of the stretch-activated switch isassociated with an RFID tag state. For example, the first mode of thestretch-activated switch corresponds to a first state, while the secondmode of the stretch-activated switch corresponds to a second differentstate. In the illustrated and described embodiment, the first modecorresponds to one of a stretched mode or an un-stretched mode. Thesecond mode corresponds to the other of the stretched mode orun-stretched mode. The stretched mode refers to a mode in which thewearable is stretched. So, in this example, the stretched mode wouldcorrespond to the wearable textile article being worn by the individual.The un-stretched mode would correspond to the wearable textile articlenot being worn by the individual.

In operation, the RFID tag 102 can assume an activated state or anun-activated state. In the activated state, the RFID tag 102 isoperational and can perform operations including, by way of example andnot limitation, collecting data, receiving transmitted data, and/ortransmitting data. In the un-activated state, the RFID tag 102 is lessor differently operational than when in the activated state. In someinstances, the un-activated state can correspond to when the RFID tag102 is not operational. In some embodiments, the first state(corresponding to the first mode of the stretch-activated switch)corresponds to one of the activated state or the un-activated state. Thesecond state (corresponding to the second mode of the stretch-activatedswitch) corresponds to the other of the activated state or un-activatedstate.

Having considered an example operating environment, consider now an RFIDtag in accordance with one or more embodiments.

EXAMPLE RFID TAG

FIG. 2 illustrates an example system 200 that includes RFID tag 102. TheRFID tag 102 includes RFID hardware 104 and one or more RFID antenna106. The RFID hardware 104 includes RFID tag memory 202 that storesvarious information 204, an RF interface 206, and a stretch-activatedswitch 208 that operates as described above and below. System 200 alsoincludes an RFID reader 210 that maintains RFID tag information 212.

In this example, RFID tag 102 is implemented to store, in RFID tagmemory 202, information that can include, by way of example and notlimitation, sets of data such as manufacturing data that can enableinventory control, wearable-specific data, wearable-specific data thatcan enable wearable handling such as that used by smartwearable-processing devices such as washers and dryers, user specificdata, user-specific physical data collected about the physical user byone or more sensors on the RFID tag 102, and the like.

Examples of manufacturing data that can enable inventory controlinclude, by way of example and not limitation, lot number, manufacturerID, origination location, current location, intended destination and thelike. Wearable-specific data can include size, color, manufacturerwebsite, promotional information, information associated with how toreplace the wearable or components of the wearable such as buttons andthe like. Wearable-specific data that can enable wearable handling caninclude, by way of example and not limitation, handling instructions,washing instructions, material type, drying instructions, and the like.User specific data can include such things as user location, how manytimes a wearable has been worn, when a wearable has been worn, andvarious other parameters associated with the environment of the user.User-specific physical data collected about the physical user by one ormore sensors can include various physiological information associatedwith the user such as, by way of example not limitation, pulse rate,temperature, activity tracking data such as exercise, and the like.

The RFID tag 102 is also implemented for two-way wireless communicationwith RFID readers, such as the RFID reader 210 (also referred to as aRFID interrogator) that interrogates the RFID tag 102 for variousinformation 204 that is stored in the RFID tag memory 202. Generally,RFID tags are small electronic tags or labels that can be programmedwith data and other information. The RFID reader 210 can transmit aninterrogation signal as a broadcast message requesting RFID tags thatare in range to return the data and information that the RFID tags havestored. The RFID tags can then wirelessly communicate the data andinformation to the RFID reader via a radio frequency (RF) communicationchannel, which the RFID reader 210 receives as the RFID tag information212.

In implementations, RFID tag 102 can include an ASIC/CPU module and atransmitter and receiver (or transceiver) for two-way communication withthe RFID reader 210. In response to receipt of an interrogation signal,the ASIC/CPU module of the RFID tag 102 formulates a response that mayinclude data from the RFID tag, and the response is wirelesslytransmitted to the RFID reader. The response signals from RFID tag 102can be communicated using low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), orultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves. The RFID tag data can be storedin non-volatile memory, and the ASIC/CPU module can be implemented asfixed or programmable logic for processing the RFID tag data, as well asmodulating and demodulating the RF signals.

In implementations, the RFID tag memory 202 (e.g., non-volatile memory)can be accessed by the RFID reader 210 via a radio frequency (RF)interface 206 of the RFID tag 102.

The example system 200 also includes a network 214 that generallyrepresents any type of communication and data network, and one or moreservers 216 that can communicate via the network 214 (or combination ofnetworks), such as for data communication between the RFID reader 210and the server 216. The network 214 can be implemented to include wiredand/or wireless networks. The network can also be implemented using anytype of network topology and/or communication protocol, and can berepresented or otherwise implemented as a combination of two or morenetworks, to include cellular networks, IP-based networks, and/or theInternet. The network 214 may also include mobile operator networks thatare managed by a network provider of a cellular network, a mobilenetwork operator, and/or other network operators, such as acommunication service provider, mobile phone provider, and/or Internetservice provider.

In at least some embodiments, information read by RFID reader 210 fromRFID tag 102 can be utilized to communicate with server 216 by way ofnetwork 214. For example, in some instances information read from RFIDtag 102 may include a website associated with a wearable textilearticle. For example, the website may be that of the manufacturer of thewearable textile article and may include information associated withother wearable textile articles that may be purchased by the wearer. Inthis instance, the RFID reader 210 may comprise part of a computingdevice, such as a handheld device, e.g., a smart phone, that has anapplication that can access the website. Further, information read byRFID reader 210 from RFID tag 102 may be used to verify the authenticityof the RFID tag and associated wearable textile article. For example,RFID reader 210 may interrogate RFID tag 102 to receive encryptedinformation that can be used to authenticate or verify the authenticityof RFID tag 102. This can be done through communication with server 216by way of network 214.

Having considered an example RFID tag and system, consider now anexample stretch-activated switch in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

EXAMPLE STRECH-ACTIVATED SWITCH

FIG. 3 illustrates an example stretch-activated switch included as partof a system, generally at 300. The upper-most illustration depicts thesystem 300 in which the stretch-activated switch is in a first mode,while the bottom-most illustration depicts the system with thestretch-activated switch in a second mode. In the illustrated anddescribed embodiment, the stretch-activated switch is included as partof a first layer 302 and a second layer 304. The first and second layers302, 304 are slidable relative to one another to help facilitateoperation of the switch.

The first layer 302 includes one or more antennas 306 and RFIDintegrated circuitry 308 (e.g., hardware to implement RFID operations).The RFID integrated circuitry 308 corresponds to components includingRFID tag memory 202, RF interface 206 and other componentry of RFID tag102 (FIG. 2). The first layer 302 also includes a ground contact 310 andan RFID enable contact 312 which form part of the stretch-activatedswitch.

Second layer 304 includes a contact 314 which also forms part of thestretch-activated switch. Each layer 302, 304 is mounted to or otherwiseaffixed to a stretchable, wearable textile article. In this particularexample, first layer 302 is connected to a stretchable portion 316 andsecond layer 304 is connected to a stretchable portion 318. In the firstmode, the wearable textile article is un-stretched. This corresponds toa situation where the wearable textile article is not being worn by auser. When the wearable textile article is un-stretched, contact 314spans across ground contact 310 and RFID enable contact 312. In thismanner, the RFID enable contact 312 is grounded to the ground contact310 by way of contact 314. When the RFID enable contact 312 is grounded,the RFID integrated circuitry 308 and hence, the RFID tag is in anun-activated state.

The bottommost depiction illustrates the stretch-activated switch in thesecond mode. In this mode, the stretch-activated switch is stretched, asby a user who has donned the wearable textile article. When the wearabletextile article is donned, stretchable portion 316 pulls first layer 302to the right, and stretchable portion 318 pulls the second layer 304 tothe left. This causes contact 314 to slidably disengage the RFID enablecontact 312, and thus enable the activated state of the RFID integratedcircuitry 308 and hence, the RFID tag. When activated, the RFID tag isoperational for its intended purpose. Such intended purpose can include,by way of example and not limitation, collecting data, receivingtransmitted data, and/or transmitting data as by being interrogated byan RFID reader.

Having considered an example stretch-activated switch in accordance withone or more embodiments, consider the following method or methods inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

Example method 400 is described with reference to FIG. 4 in accordancewith implementations of the stretch-activated switch of an RFID tagmounted on a stretchable, wearable textile article. Generally, anyservices, components, modules, methods, and/or operations describedherein can be implemented using software, firmware, hardware (e.g.,fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or any combination thereof.Some operations of the example methods may be described in the generalcontext of executable instructions stored on computer-readable storagememory that is local and/or remote to a computer processing system, andimplementations can include software applications, programs, functions,and the like. Alternately or in addition, any of the functionalitydescribed herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or morehardware logic components, such as, and without limitation,Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application-specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard Products (AS SPs),System-on-a-chip systems (SoCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices(CPLDs), and the like.

FIG. 4 illustrates example method 400 of a stretch-activated switch ofan RFID tag mounted on a stretchable, wearable textile article asdescribed herein. The order in which the method is described is notintended to be construed as a limitation, and any number or combinationof the described method operations can be performed in any order toperform a method, or an alternate method.

At 402, a first state of an RFID tag mounted to a stretchable, wearabletextile article is maintained. The RFID tag includes a stretch-activatedswitch that is stretchable to activate or un-activate the RFID tag. Forexample, the first state can be an un-activated state as describedabove. Alternately, the first state can be an activated state asdescribed above.

At 404, a stretchable input to the stretchable, wearable textile articleis received. The stretchable input can include an input that stretchesthe stretchable, wearable textile article. Alternately, the stretchableinput can include an input that un-stretches the stretchable, wearabletextile article.

At 406, the stretch-activated switch is operated on, responsive toreceiving the stretchable input, effective to transition from the firststate to a second different state of the RFID tag. In at least someembodiments, the second different state can be an activated state, whenthe first state is an un-activated state. Alternately, the seconddifferent state can be an un-activated state, when the first state is anactivated state.

The above-described embodiments improve the state of the art byautomatically activating or un-activating an RFID tag that is mounted ona stretchable, wearable textile article. This relieves the user ofhaving to physically, manually manipulate an on/off switch to activatethe RFID tag. So, for example, in at least some embodiments when a userdons the stretchable, wearable textile article, the RFID tag can beautomatically activated without requiring any action from a user otherthan donning the stretchable, wearable textile article. In this manner,the user's experience is improved because the user no longer needs toremember to turn on the RFID tag.

Having considered an example stretch-activated switch, consider now anexample RFID tag with a contact-activated switch in accordance with oneor more embodiments.

EXAMPLE RFID TAG WITH A CONTACT-ACTIVATED SWITCH

FIG. 5 illustrates an example system 500 that includes RFID tag 102. TheRFID tag 102 includes RFID hardware 104 and two RFID antennas 106. TheRFID hardware 104 includes RFID tag memory 502 that stores variousinformation 504, an RF interface 506, a contact-activated switch 508that operates as described above and below, and optionally one or moresensors 509. System 500 also includes an RFID reader 510 that maintainsRFID tag information 512.

In this example, RFID tag 102 is implemented to store, in RFID tagmemory 502, information that can include, by way of example and notlimitation, sets of data such as manufacturing data that can enableinventory control, wearable-specific data, wearable-specific data thatcan enable wearable handling such as that used by smartwearable-processing devices such as washers and dryers, user specificdata, user-specific physical data collected about the physical user byone or more sensors on the RFID tag 102, such as sensors 509.

Examples of manufacturing data that can enable inventory controlinclude, by way of example and not limitation, lot number, manufacturerID, origination location, current location, and the like.Wearable-specific data can include size, color, manufacturer website,promotional information, information associated with how to replace thewearable or components of the wearable such as buttons, how many timesthe wearable has been worn, and the like. Wearable-specific data thatcan enable wearable handling can include, by way of example and notlimitation, handling instructions, washing instructions, material type,drying instructions, and the like. User specific data can include suchthings as user location and various other parameters associated with theenvironment of the user. User-specific physical data collected about thephysical user by one or more sensors 509 can include variousphysiological information associated with the user such as, by way ofexample not limitation, pulse rate, temperature, and the like.

The RFID tag 102 is also implemented for two-way wireless communicationwith RFID readers, such as the RFID reader 510 (also referred to as aRFID interrogator) that interrogates the RFID tag 102 for variousinformation 504 that is stored in the RFID tag memory 502. The RFIDreader 510 can transmit an interrogation signal as a broadcast messagerequesting RFID tags that are in range to return the data andinformation that the RFID tags have stored. The RFID tags can thenwirelessly communicate the data and information to the RFID reader via aradio frequency (RF) communication channel, which the RFID reader 510receives as the RFID tag information 512.

In implementations, RFID tag 102 can include an ASIC/CPU module and atransmitter and receiver (or transceiver) for two-way communication withthe RFID reader 510. In response to receipt of an interrogation signal,the ASIC/CPU module of the RFID tag 102 formulates a response that mayinclude data from the RFID tag, and the response is wirelesslytransmitted to the RFID reader. The response signals from RFID tag 102can be communicated using low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), orultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves. The RFID tag data can be storedin non-volatile memory, and the ASIC/CPU module can be implemented asfixed or programmable logic for processing the RFID tag data, as well asmodulating and demodulating the RF signals.

In implementations, the RFID tag memory 502 (e.g., non-volatile memory)can be accessed by the RFID reader 510 via a radio frequency (RF)interface 506 of the RFID tag 102.

The example system 500 includes a network 514 that generally representsany type of communication and data network, and one or more servers 516that can communicate via the network 514 (or combination of networks),such as for data communication between the RFID reader 510 and theserver 516. The network 514 can be implemented to include wired and/orwireless networks. The network can also be implemented using any type ofnetwork topology and/or communication protocol, and can be representedor otherwise implemented as a combination of two or more networks, toinclude cellular networks, IP-based networks, and/or the Internet. Thenetwork 514 may also include mobile operator networks that are managedby a network provider of a cellular network, a mobile network operator,and/or other network operators, such as a communication serviceprovider, mobile phone provider, and/or Internet service provider.

In at least some embodiments, information read by RFID reader 510 fromRFID tag 102 can be utilized to communicate with server 516 by way ofnetwork 514. For example, in some instances information read from RFIDtag 102 may include a website associated with a wearable textilearticle. For example, the website may be that of the manufacturer of thewearable textile article and may include information associated withother wearable textile articles that may be purchased by the wearer. Inthis instance, the RFID reader 510 may comprise part of the computingdevice that has an application that can access the website. Further,information read by RFID reader 510 from RFID tag 102 may be used toverify the authenticity of the RFID tag and associated wearable textilearticle. For example, RFID reader 510 may interrogate RFID tag 102 toreceive encrypted information that can be used to authenticate or verifythe authenticity of RFID tag 102. This can be done through communicationwith server 516 by way of network 514.

In at least some embodiments, the contact-activated switch 508 has firstand second modes. The contact-activated switch enables automaticselection of at least one of the first or second modes without requiringa user to physically toggle a dedicated hardware on/off switch. Eachmode of the contact-activated switch is associated with an RFID tagstate—such as a first and second state, respectively.

The first mode corresponds to one of a contact mode or a non-contactmode, while the second mode corresponds to the other of the contact modeor non-contact mode. The contact mode refers to a mode in which thecontact-activated switch is in contact with a user. The non-contact modecorresponds to a mode in which the contact-activated switch is not incontact with the user.

In some embodiments, the first state corresponds to one of a firstoperational state or a second different operational state and the secondstate corresponds to the other of the first operational state or thesecond different operational state. In at least some embodiments, thefirst operational state is associated with the RFID tag transmitting afirst set of data and the second different operational state isassociated with the RFID tag transmitting a second different set ofdata. Examples of sets of data include, by way of example and notlimitation and as noted above, manufacturing data such as that which canenable inventory control, wearable-specific data, wearable-specific datathat can enable wearable handling such as that used by smartwearable-processing devices such as washers and dryers, user specificdata, user-specific physical data collected about the physical user byone or more sensors on the RFID tag, and the like. The first and secondsets of data can include any combination of these data, as well as otherdata.

Having considered an example RFID tag and contact-activated switch,consider now an example contact-activated switch in accordance with oneor more embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example contact-activated switch included as partof a system, generally at 600. In the illustrated and describedembodiment, the contact-activated switch is included as part of a layer602. The layer 602 can be configured as part of a tag that is typicallyaffixed to a wearable textile article, indicated here by tag portions614. Examples of such tags include tags that are sewn to the inside of apiece of clothing, such as a shirt, dress, socks, wristband, and thelike. Such a tag might be sewn on the inside of the wearable, such as inthe neck region or wasteband.

The layer 602 includes two antennas 604, 606 and RFID integratedcircuitry 608. The RFID integrated circuitry 608 (e.g., hardware toimplement RFID operations) corresponds to components including RFID tagmemory 502, RF interface 506 and other componentry of RFID tag 102 (FIG.5). The layer 602 also includes an antenna enable contact 610 and acontact sensor 612. Contact sensor 612 can include any sensor that candetect contact with a wearer of the wearable textile article. Thecontact sensor can be configured to sense contact directly, such asthrough physical contact with a wearer's skin. Alternately oradditionally, the contact sensor can be configured to sense contactindirectly by way of an environmental change associated with the ambientenvironment on or around the contact sensor 612. Accordingly, contactsensor 612 can include, by way of example and not limitation,temperature sensors, capacitance sensors, sensors that sense moisturesuch as sweat, resistance sensors, and the like. So, for example, if awearer dons the wearable textile article, a contact sensor in the formof a temperature sensor would invariably sense an increase in theambient temperature adjacent the sensor.

In the illustrated and described embodiment, the antennas areillustrated as being associated with a single RFID tag. In otherembodiments, each antenna is associated with a different RFID tag andthe contact-activated switch enables switching between the differentRFID tags to permit the transmission of first and second respective setsof data, as described below.

In operation, in this specific example, the contact-activated switch hasa first and second mode. The contact-activated switch enables automaticselection of a mode or modes without requiring a user to physicallytoggle a dedicated hardware on/off switch. Each mode of thecontact-activated switch is associated with an RFID tag state—such as afirst and second state, respectively.

In this specific example, the first mode corresponds to a non-contactmode, while the second mode corresponds to a contact mode. Thenon-contact mode corresponds to a mode in which the wearable is not incontact with the user. In this instance, the user is not in contact withcontact sensor 612. The contact mode refers to a mode in which thewearable is in contact with a user. In this instance, the user is incontact with contact sensor 612 or at least in proximity enough that thecontact sensor can sense a change in its ambient environment.

In some embodiments, the first state corresponds to a first operationalstate and the second state corresponds to a second different operationalstate. In this example, the first operational state (corresponding tothe non-contact mode) is associated with the RFID tag transmitting afirst set of data by way of antenna 604. When the RFID tag transmitsdata by way of antenna 604, antenna 606 is disabled. The secondoperational state (corresponding to the contact mode) is associated withthe RFID tag transmitting a second different set of data by way ofantenna 606. That is, when a user comes in contact with contact sensor612, the contact sensor enables antenna 606 by way of the antenna enablecontact 610. When antenna 606 is enabled, antenna 604 is disabled.

Examples of sets of data include, by way of example and not limitation,manufacturing data such as that which can enable inventory control,wearable-specific data, wearable-specific data that can enable wearablehandling such as that used by smart wearable-processing devices such aswashers and dryers, user specific data, user-specific physical datacollected about the physical user by one or more sensors on the RFIDtag, and the like.

So, for example, when the contact-activated switch is in the first mode,the user is not in contact with contact sensor 612. In this case,antenna 604 may transmit manufacturing data only or wearable-specificdata that can be used for wearable handling. If, on the other hand, theuser is in contact with contact sensor 612, antenna 604 is disabled andantenna 606 is enabled. When antenna 606 is enabled, antenna 606 maytransmit sensor data ascertained from sensor(s) 509 (FIG. 5), such asuser-specific data or user-specific physical data collected by thesensor(s) 509.

Having considered an example contact-activated switch in accordance withone or more embodiments, consider the following method or methods inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

Example method 700 is described with reference to respective FIG. 7 inaccordance with implementations of the contact-activated switch of anRFID tag mounted on a wearable textile article, which may or may not bea stretchable textile article. Generally, any services, components,modules, methods, and/or operations described herein can be implementedusing software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manualprocessing, or any combination thereof. Some operations of the examplemethods may be described in the general context of executableinstructions stored on computer-readable storage memory that is localand/or remote to a computer processing system, and implementations caninclude software applications, programs, functions, and the like.Alternately or in addition, any of the functionality described hereincan be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logiccomponents, such as, and without limitation, Field-programmable GateArrays (FPGAs), Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs),Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems(SoCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and the like.

FIG. 7 illustrates example method 700 of a contact-activated switch ofan RFID tag mounted on a wearable textile article as described herein.The order in which the method is described is not intended to beconstrued as a limitation, and any number or combination of thedescribed method operations can be performed in any order to perform amethod, or an alternate method.

At 702, a first state of an RFID tag mounted to a wearable textilearticle is maintained. The RFID tag includes a contact-activated switchthat can enable and disable individual antennas of an antenna pair onthe RFID tag. For example, the first state can be a state in which afirst antenna is enabled to transmit a first set of data, while a secondantenna is disabled so as not to transmit a second different set ofdata. Examples of first and second sets of data are given above.

At 704, a contact input to the contact-activated switch is received. Thecontact input can include an input that physically contacts thecontact-activated switch. Alternately, the contact input can includeinput in which a user's body is in near enough proximity to thecontact-activated switch to change the ambient environment. For example,the user may put on a shirt that has the RFID tag embedded in the tag ofthe shirt. The tag may be adjacent the user's back and in close enoughproximity to raise the ambient temperature adjacent the tag.

At 706, the contact-activated switch is operated on, responsive toreceiving the contact input, effective to transition from the firststate to a second different state of the RFID tag. In at least someembodiments, the second different state can be a state in which thefirst antenna is disabled, while the second antenna is enabled so as totransmit the second different set of data.

The above-described embodiments improve the state of the art byautomatically enabling and disabling RFID antennas so as to transmitdifferent sets of data based on whether or not a user is wearing awearable textile article. This relieves the user of having tophysically, manually manipulate any input mechanisms of the RFID tag.So, for example, in at least some embodiments when a user dons thewearable textile article, an antenna can be automatically enabled toallow the RFID tag to transmit a corresponding set of data withoutrequiring any action from a user other than donning the wearable textilearticle. In this manner, the user's experience is improved because theuser does not need to be proactively involved in manipulating the RFIDtag.

Having considered embodiments that employ a contact-activated switch,consider now a system that employs an RFID tag to implement so-calledsmart textile cleaning.

Smart Textile Cleaning

As described herein, the data stored in an RFID tag, whether collectedin real time or programmed, can be read by an RFID reader as a way toexchange information. For instance, when a user wears a wearable textilearticle that includes an RFID tag, real time data can be collected abouthow the user interacts or uses the wearable textile article. An RFIDreader can then be used to extract information from the RFID tag, andthen forward the extracted information to an interested recipient, suchas a manufacturer of the wearable textile article. In turn, themanufacturer can analyze data collected in real time in order to learninformation about the wearable textile article such as how well thearticle holds up, an environment in which the article is worn, and soforth, in order to discern potential areas of improvement.Alternatively, RFID tags affixed to wearable textile articles caninclude pre-programmed data that can be subsequently extracted and usedby another device to learn information, such as handling instructions,washing instructions, and so forth. Accordingly, this information can beused by the device to automatically select cleaning settings forwearable textile articles, determine incompatibilities between textilearticles and/or textile articles and settings of the device, or providenotifications to a user. For example, both wearable and non-wearabletextile articles may include RFID tags with information about thearticles. So, if a user places a red towel and a white dress shirt intoa smart washer, the smart washer can ascertain from the RFID tags oneach article that the articles are incompatible and can issue anotification warning to the user. Alternately or additionally, if a userplaces a delicate textile article in a washing machine that has a washcycle set to “hot”, this incompatibility can be detected and anotification can be issued or more appropriate settings can beautomatically selected.

FIG. 8 illustrates environment 800 in which an RFID tag and RFID readercan be employed in connection with both wearable textile articles andnon-wearable textile articles. Among other things, environment 800includes various wearable textile articles, such as shirt 802, dress804, and jeans 806. Each wearable textile article includes a RFID tagmounted or attached to the clothing, labeled here as RFID tag 808-1,RFID tag 808-2, and RFID tag 808-3, respectively. The RFID tags can beimplemented in any suitable manner, such as a RFID tag with astretch-activated switch (e.g., RFID tag 102 of FIG. 1) or a RFID tagwith contact-activated switch (e.g., RFID tag 102 of FIG. 5).

Environment 800 also includes cleaning machines in the form of a washingmachine 810 and drying machine 812, which include RFID reader 814 andRFID reader 816, respectively. Here, washing machine 810 and dryingmachine 812 are illustrated as “smart devices” that can includeadditional capability not found in basic washing machines or dryingmachines, such as, by way of example and not limitation, connectivity toWi-Fi, remote control from a secondary device (e.g., mobile phone,desktop PC), remote notifications to the secondary device, touch screeninterfaces, display panels for displaying information such asnotifications and warnings, and so forth. RFID reader 814 and RFIDreader 816 are configured to wirelessly communicate with, or extractinformation from, an RFID tag, such as RFID tags 808-1, 808-2, and808-3. Among other things, RFID readers 814 and 816 extract informationas a way for washing machine 810 and drying machine 812 to determinecleaning settings or instructions for a load of clothing that cancontain one wearable textile article, or multiple articles which may ormay not be wearable. Here, cleaning settings or instructions can includewasher settings, dryer settings, washing instructions, dryinginstructions, color information, size information, weight information,textile composition, and/or handling instructions. Accordingly, RFIDreaders 814 and 816 work in concert with their respective cleaningmachine to provide smart clothes cleaning.

Environment 800 also includes a network 818 that generally representsany type of communication and data network, and one or more servers 820that can communicate via the network 818 (or combination of networks),such as for data communication between the RFID readers 814 and 816 andthe server 820. Alternately or additionally, washing machine 810 and/ordrying machine 812 can communicate with remote devices over network 818,such as server 820, a remote mobile device, a remote desktop computer,etc. The network 818 can be implemented to include wired and/or wirelessnetworks. The network can also be implemented using any type of networktopology and/or communication protocol, and can be represented orotherwise implemented as a combination of two or more networks, toinclude cellular networks, IP-based networks, and/or the Internet. Thenetwork 818 may also include mobile operator networks that are managedby a network provider of a cellular network, a mobile network operator,and/or other network operators, such as a communication serviceprovider, mobile phone provider, and/or Internet service provider.

In at least some embodiments, information read by RFID readers 814 and816 from any combination of RFID tags 808-1 through 808-3 can beutilized to communicate with server 820 by way of network 818. Forexample, in some instances information read from RFID tags 808-1, 808-2,and 808-3 may include a website or address associated with a wearabletextile article. The website may be associated with a manufacturer ofthe wearable textile article, and can provide access to informationassociated with the corresponding wearable textile article, such ascleaning information. In this instance, RFID reader 814 and RFID reader816 can interface with washing machine 810 and drying machine 812, or anapplication executing on each machine, to gain access to the website,associated server, or address in order to exchange data. Further,information read by RFID reader 814 and RFID reader 816 from RFID tags808-1, 808-2, and 808-3 may be used to verify the authenticity of therespective RFID tag and associated wearable textile article. Forexample, RFID readers 814 and 816 may interrogate an RFID tag to receiveencrypted information that can be used to authenticate or verify theauthenticity of that RFID tag. This can be done through communicationwith server 820 by way of network 818.

Consider now a user placing shirt 802, dress 804, and jeans 806 intowashing machine 810 (or drying machine 812) at the same time to create aload of laundry. As each wearable textile article (and correspondingRFID tag) is placed within working range of RFID reader 814 (or RFIDreader 816), information can be extracted from each RFID tag that isidentified. Washing machine 810 can use this information toautomatically select wash settings (e.g., hot water, cold water, warmwater, heavy soil cycle, light soil cycle, hand wash cycle, beddingcycle, low spin, high spin, and so forth). In a similar manner, dryingmachine 812 can use this information to automatically select drysettings (e.g., drying duration time, drying temperature, wrinkleprevention, steam freshening, etc.). The information extracted from therespective RFID tags can include the specific wash settings, informationabout the clothing, and/or can include an address associated with aclothing manufacturer.

In some embodiments, washing machine 810 or drying machine 812 contactsa corresponding manufacture identified on an RFID tag to gatherinformation about a corresponding wearable textile article. As part ofgathering information, some embodiments forward characteristicsassociated with washing machine 810 or drying machine 812 to themanufacturer, such as model and make information. In turn, themanufacturer can use this information to identify and return washinginstructions (or drying instructions) specific to that particular modeland make, or return default cleaning settings or instructions that areindependent of the model or make information. A manufacturer can alsoreturn characteristics about a corresponding wearable textile articlethat are then used by a cleaning machine to make decisions on how tolaunder the particular piece of clothing (e.g., material type, color,weight). Further, the manufacturer can automatically return informationwhen contacted by a cleaning machine, or return data in response to aquery.

Once information about the wearable (or non-wearable) textile articlecontained within a current load has been obtained, washing machine 810and/or drying machine 812 can use this information to determinecharacteristics about the current load as a way to select cleaningsettings for a wash cycle or dry cycle. However, as part of selectingcleaning settings, washing machine 810 or drying machine 812 can alsoperform a compatibility check on the identified articles containedwithin a load. The compatibility check can be performed as betweenarticles in the load, and/or as between articles and settings of thewashing or drying machine. When a load of clothing is determined to havecompatible articles (e.g., compatible cleaning instructions orcompatible article characteristics), washing machine 810 and/or dryingmachine 812 can automatically select the cleaning settings and caneither automatically start a wash cycle or dry cycle, or wait for userinput before starting a wash or dry cycle. However, when a load ofclothing is determined to be incompatible (e.g., as by containingincompatible cleaning settings or instructions, or color/materialmis-matches), the user may be notified and/or so that corrective actioncan be taken.

Returning to the above example, now consider a case where washingmachine 810 determines that the load containing shirt 802, dress 804,and jeans 806 encompasses mixed articles of clothing with differing orincompatible washing instructions. For instance, shirt 802 may beidentified as a white load with hot water and/or bleaching instructions,jeans 806 may be identified as a dark load with cold water instructions,and dress 804 is identified as dry-clean only or delicate cycle. In someembodiments, washing machine 810 provides the user with an update orindication that the load contains mixed clothing types, or that the loadcontains incompatible cleaning settings or instructions. Further, when apotential problem has been identified, a wash cycle (or dry cycle) canbe halted, or prevented from automatically starting, until instructionsare received from the user. For example, some embodiments may proceedwith the cleaning process by selecting a default cleaning configurationthat is considered safe for mixed loads with incompatible cleaninginstructions (e.g., a cleaning configuration that will not damage theclothing). However, in such an instance, the user may be notified thatdefault or safe settings have been selected. Other embodiments can haltthe cleaning process entirely, notify the user, and wait for furtherinput before proceeding.

Consider now a user creating a load of articles to wash by combiningmultiple white socks and white t-shirts with a red sock or a red towel.By using information gathered from corresponding RFID tags, washingmachine 810 is able to identify a color incompatibility within the load,and notify the user that a potential problem exists. Since such ascenario has the potential of irreparable damage to the white articlesof clothing by altering their color to pink, the cleaning process ishalted. Any suitable type of notification can be sent to a user, such asa generic notification indicating “Incompatible Color Types” or“Incompatible Washing Types”. Alternately, the notification can indicatespecific information about the clothing items in the load, such as “RedColored Sock Mixed with Whites” or “Dry-Clean Only Garment in Load”. Ina similar manner, drying machine 812 can identify when articles havemixed drying instructions (e.g., hot dry cycle mixed with air-dry only)and notify the user.

Notifications can be received in any suitable manner, such as through adisplay device or touchscreen interface of the washing machine, or canbe communicated to a remote device or application that provides theupdates to the user. For example, some smart devices enable a user toremotely start or stop operation of a device via an application runningon a mobile device. Some embodiments of washing machine 810 and dryingmachine 812 can forward notifications to the application on the mobiledevice regarding identified problems or incompatibles. In addition toreceiving notifications, a user can interface with an application on amobile phone or a local display device to enter input regarding aproblem that has been identified. Thus, a wash cycle or dry cycle can behalted, or prevented from automatically starting, until instructions arereceived from the user. In a similar manner, washing machine 810 anddrying machine 812 can provide updates to a user, such as updatescorresponding to the selected settings, or a state of the wash cycle(e.g., “Settings Selected”, “Wash Cycle Started”, “Rinse Cycle Started”,“Washing Completed”, “Enter Input to Continue”, etc.).

Some embodiments share information between a washing machine and adrying machine. For example, after extracting or obtaining informationabout the articles contained within a load, the washing machine cancommunicate with the drying machine to share some or all of thisinformation. Alternately or additionally, the washing machine cancommunicate information derived from the load to the drying machine (orto the user), such as expected time duration of the wash cycle or anexpected completion time. In response to the communication, the dryingmachine can use the received information to predict or configure thedrying settings. The drying machine can also notify the user of anexpected time duration of the dry cycle, an expected time duration ofthe combined wash cycle and dry cycle, expected completion time for thedry cycle, an expected completion time of the combined wash cycle anddry cycle, etc. In some cases, the drying machine communicates its owninformation to the washing machine, such as dry cycle informationderived from the information received from the washing machine, drycycle information about a current dry cycle in progress, informationabout a current dry load, etc. In turn, the washing machine can adjust acurrent wash cycle, such as adjusting or optimizing the wash cycle tocomplete shortly after a current dry cycle ends. Information can beshared between the washing machine and the drying machine in anysuitable manner, such as through a local wireless link, through wirelessor wired communications routed through a server, a local wired link,etc.

FIG. 9 illustrates example method 900 that automatically ascertainscleaning instructions for both wearable textile articles andnon-wearable textile articles, as described herein. The order in whichthe method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation,and any number or combination of the described method operations can beperformed in any order to perform a method, or an alternate method. Insome embodiments, method 900 is implemented by washing machine 810and/or drying machine 812 of FIG. 8.

At 902, a cleaning machine identifies at least one textile articlecontained within a load of articles by extracting information from atleast one RFID tag that is affixed to the textile article. The textilearticle may be a wearable textile article or a non-wearable textilearticle. For example, the wearable textile articles can include RFIDtags that are mounted or attached to the wearable textile article. Inturn, an RFID reader included in the cleaning machine is able toidentify, validate, and/or extract information from an RFID tag asfurther described herein. In some embodiments, the RFID tag includesdirect information that identifies the textile article, while in otherembodiments, the RFID tag includes indirect information (e.g., amanufacture's address) that can be used by the RFID reader or cleaningmachine to obtain information that identifies the textile article. Someembodiments not only identify a single textile article, but additionallyidentify additional wearable textile articles contained within the load.

At 904, cleaning settings of the article or articles are determinedbased upon the information. Some cleaning settings can be obtaineddirectly from an RFID tag, while other cleaning settings can be obtainedindirectly from the RFID tag via an address included on an RFID tag.Determining the cleaning settings can sometimes include a cleaningmachine exchanging information over a network using the address toobtain some of the washing settings from a server located at theaddress, as further described herein.

At 906, the cleaning machine determines whether the cleaning settings ofthe identified textile articles are compatible. This can be done bydetermining compatibility with one or more of cleaning settings ofarticles within the load of articles or cleaning settings of thecleaning machine. This can include identifying compatible and/orincompatible colors, temperature settings, and so forth. If it isdetermined that the cleaning settings are not compatible (e.g.,incompatible), the cleaning machine can optionally determine whether touse default settings that are considered safe for a mixed load at 908.If the cleaning machine decides to use default settings, the method thenproceeds to 910.

At 910, the cleaning machine automatically configures a cleaning cyclewithout user intervention. This can include configuring washing settingsused by a washing machine, or drying settings used by a drying machine.If, on the other hand, default settings cannot be used or the defaultsettings are not an available option, a user can be provided with anotification at 912. If, on the other hand, at 906 the cleaning settingsare determined to be compatible, the compatible settings determined at904 are used. Some embodiments automatically start a cleaning cycle aspart of the configuration process, while other embodiments wait for userinput to begin.

At 912, the cleaning machine can also optionally provide a notificationto the user after configuring or completing the cleaning cycle. Forexample, notifications can be provided that update a status of thecleaning cycle, such as “Cycle Automatically Started”, “Waiting for UserInput”, “Cycle Completed”, and so forth. The notifications can beprovided on a local display or can be provided on a remote displayand/or to a remote application.

Cleaning machines that automatically identify cleaning settings for aload of laundry lower a risk of damaging clothing, and further provide auser with an automated mechanism to clean clothes. For example, if auser inadvertently includes a red sock in a white load of clothing beingwashed, the red sock can be detected and the user notified before a washcycle is run that could alter the coloring of the white clothes to pinkor red. Similarly, a dry-clean only garment in a dryer can be detectedbefore a hot temperature dry cycle starts that would otherwise shrinkthe garment. Thus, automatic detection of cleaning settings, as well asautomation of the cleaning process, provides a user with a more reliableand safe way to clean garments.

Having considered embodiments that employ smart textile cleaning,consider now an example device that can be utilized to implement one ormore embodiments.

EXAMPLE DEVICE

FIG. 10 illustrates various components of an example device 1000 inwhich embodiments of smart clothes cleaning can be implemented. Theexample device 1000 can be implemented as a smart cleaning machine asdescribed above.

The device 1000 includes communication transceivers 1002 that enablewired and/or wireless communication of device data 1004 with otherdevices. Additionally, the device data can include any type of audio,video, and/or image data. Example transceivers include wireless personalarea network (WPAN) radios compliant with various IEEE 802.15(Bluetooth™) standards, wireless local area network (WLAN) radioscompliant with any of the various IEEE 802.11 (WiFi™) standards,wireless wide area network (WWAN) radios for cellular phonecommunication, wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) radioscompliant with various IEEE 802.15 (WiMAX™) standards, and wired localarea network (LAN) Ethernet transceivers for network data communication.

The device 1000 may also include one or more data input ports 1006 viawhich any type of data, media content, and/or inputs can be received,such as user-selectable inputs to the device, messages, and the like.The data input ports may include USB ports, coaxial cable ports, andother serial or parallel connectors (including internal connectors) forflash memory, DVDs, CDs, and the like. These data input ports may beused to couple the device to any type of components, peripherals, oraccessories such as microphones and/or cameras.

The device 1000 includes a processing system 1008 of one or moreprocessors (e.g., any of microprocessors, controllers, and the like)and/or a processor and memory system implemented as a system-on-chip(SoC) that processes computer-executable instructions. The processorsystem may be implemented at least partially in hardware, which caninclude components of an integrated circuit or on-chip system, anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmablegate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and otherimplementations in silicon and/or other hardware. Alternately or inaddition, the device can be implemented with any one or combination ofsoftware, hardware, firmware, or fixed logic circuitry that isimplemented in connection with processing and control circuits, whichare generally identified at 1010. The device 1000 may further includeany type of a system bus or other data and command transfer system thatcouples the various components within the device. A system bus caninclude any one or combination of different bus structures andarchitectures, as well as control and data lines.

The device 1000 also includes computer-readable storage memory devices1012 that enable data storage, such as data storage devices that can beaccessed by a computing device, and that provide persistent storage ofdata and executable instructions (e.g., software applications, programs,functions, and the like). Examples of the computer-readable storagememory devices 1012 include volatile memory and non-volatile memory,fixed and removable media devices, and any suitable memory device orelectronic data storage that maintains data for computing device access.The computer-readable storage memory devices can include variousimplementations of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),flash memory, and other types of storage media in various memory deviceconfigurations. The device 1000 may also include a mass storage mediadevice.

The computer-readable storage memory devices 1012 provide data storagemechanisms to store the device data 1004, other types of informationand/or data, and various device applications 1014 (e.g., softwareapplications). For example, an operating system 1016 can be maintainedas software instructions with a memory device and executed by theprocessing system 1008. The device applications may also include adevice manager, such as any form of a control application, softwareapplication, signal-processing and control module, code that is nativeto a particular device, a hardware abstraction layer for a particulardevice, and so on. Device 1000 also includes one or more RFID readers1018 that operate as described above.

The device 1000 can also include one or more device sensors 1022, suchas any one or more of an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, atouch sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, and the like. The device 1000 canalso include one or more power sources 1024. The power sources mayinclude a charging and/or power system, and can be implemented as aflexible strip battery, a rechargeable battery, a chargedsuper-capacitor, and/or any other type of active or passive powersource.

The device 1000 also includes an audio and/or video processing system1026 that generates audio data for an audio system 1028 and/or generatesdisplay data for a display system 1030. The audio system and/or thedisplay system may include any devices that process, display, and/orotherwise render audio, video, display, and/or image data. Display dataand audio signals can be communicated to an audio component and/or to adisplay component via an RF (radio frequency) link, S-video link, HDMI(high-definition multimedia interface), composite video link, componentvideo link, DVI (digital video interface), analog audio connection, orother similar communication link, such as media data port 1032. Inimplementations, the audio system and/or the display system areintegrated components of the example device. Alternatively, the audiosystem and/or the display system are external, peripheral components tothe example device.

Although embodiments of RFID tags in a wearable and smart clothescleaning have been described in language specific to features and/ormethods, the subject of the appended claims is not necessarily limitedto the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specificfeatures and methods are disclosed as example implementations and otherequivalent features and methods are intended to be within the scope ofthe appended claims. Further, various different embodiments aredescribed and it is to be appreciated that each described embodiment canbe implemented independently or in connection with one or more otherdescribed embodiments.

1. An article of manufacture comprising: a wearable, stretchable articlecomprising stretchable material, said wearable, stretchable articleselected from a group comprising: clothing, a hat, a headband, awristband, socks, footwear, handwear, shorts, or an undergarment; atleast one RFID tag mounted on the wearable, stretchable article; and astretch-activated switch on the at least one RFID tag, thestretch-activated switch having a first mode and a second mode, thefirst mode being associated with a first RFID tag state and the secondmode being associated with a second RFID tag state, wherein thestretch-activated switch comprises a ground contact, an RFID enablecontact and a contact to slidably engage the ground contact and the RFIDenable contact to transition between the first RFID tag state and thesecond RFID tag state.
 2. The article of manufacture as recited in claim1, wherein: the first mode corresponds to one of a stretched mode or anun-stretched mode, and the second mode corresponds to the other of thestretched mode or un-stretched mode; wherein the stretched mode is amode in which the wearable, stretchable article is stretched, and theun-stretched mode is a mode in which the wearable, stretchable articleis not stretched.
 3. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 1,wherein the first RFID tag state corresponds to one of an activatedstate or an un-activated state, and the second RFID tag statecorresponds to the other of the activated state or un-activated state;wherein the activated state corresponds to a state in which the at leastone RFID tag is operational and the un-activated state corresponds to astate in which the RFID tag is less or differently operational than theactivated state.
 4. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 3,wherein the activated state corresponds to an operational state in whichthe at least one RFID tag can perform operations including one or moreof: collecting data, receiving transmitted data, or transmitting data.5. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 3, wherein theun-activated state corresponds to a state in which the at least one RFIDtag is not operational.
 6. The article of manufacture as recited inclaim 1, wherein the stretch-activated switch comprises: a first layercomprising: the ground contact; and the RFID enable contact; and asecond layer comprising: the contact; wherein the contact on the secondlayer is configured to span the ground contact and RFID enable contacton the first layer to ground the RFID enable contact so that the RFIDtag is in an un-activated state; and wherein the first and second layersare slidable relative to one another to slidably disengage the contacton the second layer from the RFID enable contact on the first layer sothat the RFID tag is in an activated state.
 7. The article ofmanufacture as recited in claim 6, wherein the activated statecorresponds to an operational state in which the at least one RFID tagcan perform operations including one or more of: collecting data,receiving transmitted data, or transmitting data.
 8. An article ofmanufacture comprising: a wearable, stretchable, synthetic articleselected from a group comprising: clothing, a hat, a headband, awristband, socks, footwear, handwear, shorts, or an undergarment; atleast one RFID tag mounted on the wearable, stretchable, syntheticarticle; and a stretch-activated switch on the at least one RFID tag,the stretch-activated switch having a first mode and a second mode, thefirst mode being associated with a first RFID tag state and the secondmode being associated with a second RFID tag state, wherein thestretch-activated switch comprises a ground contact, an RFID enablecontact and a contact to slidably engage the ground contact and the RFIDenable contact to transition between the first RFID tag state and thesecond RFID tag state.
 9. The article of manufacture as recited in claim8, wherein: the first mode corresponds to one of a stretched mode or anun-stretched mode, and the second mode corresponds to the other of thestretched mode or un-stretched mode; wherein the stretched mode is amode in which the wearable, stretchable, synthetic article is stretched,and the un-stretched mode is a mode in which the wearable, stretchable,synthetic article is not stretched.
 10. The article of manufacture asrecited in claim 8, wherein the first RFID tag state corresponds to oneof an activated state or an un-activated state, and the second RFID tagstate corresponds to the other of the activated state or un-activatedstate; wherein the activated state corresponds to a state in which theat least one RFID tag is operational and the un-activated statecorresponds to a state in which the RFID tag is less or differentlyoperational than the activated state.
 11. The article of manufacture asrecited in claim 10, wherein the activated state corresponds to anoperational state in which the at least one RFID tag can performoperations including one or more of: collecting data, receivingtransmitted data, or transmitting data.
 12. The article of manufactureas recited in claim 10, wherein the un-activated state corresponds to astate in which the at least one RFID tag is not operational.
 13. Thearticle of manufacture as recited in claim 8, wherein thestretch-activated switch comprises: a first layer comprising: the groundcontact; and the RFID enable contact; and a second layer comprising: thecontact; wherein the contact on the second layer is configured to spanthe ground contact and RFID enable contact on the first layer to groundthe RFID enable contact so that the RFID tag is in an un-activatedstate; and wherein the first and second layers are slidable relative toone another to slidably disengage the contact on the second layer fromthe RFID enable contact on the first layer so that the RFID tag is in anactivated state.
 14. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 13,wherein the activated state corresponds to an operational state in whichthe at least one RFID tag can perform operations including one or moreof: collecting data, receiving transmitted data, or transmitting data.15. An article of manufacture comprising: a wearable, stretchablenatural textile article selected from a group comprising: clothing, ahat, a headband, a wristband, socks, footwear, handwear, shorts, or anundergarment; at least one RFID tag mounted on the wearable, stretchablenatural textile article; and a stretch-activated switch on the at leastone RFID tag, the stretch-activated switch having a first mode and asecond mode, the first mode being associated with a first RFID tag stateand the second mode being associated with a second RFID tag state,wherein the stretch-activated switch comprises a ground contact, an RFIDenable contact and a contact to slidably engage the ground contact andthe RFID enable contact to transition between the first RFID tag stateand the second RFID tag state.
 16. The article of manufacture as recitedin claim 15, wherein: the first mode corresponds to one of a stretchedmode or an un-stretched mode, and the second mode corresponds to theother of the stretched mode or un-stretched mode; wherein the stretchedmode is a mode in which the wearable, stretchable natural textilearticle is stretched, and the un-stretched mode is a mode in which thewearable, stretchable, natural textile article is not stretched.
 17. Thearticle of manufacture as recited in claim 15, wherein the first RFIDtag state corresponds to one of an activated state or an un-activatedstate, and the second RFID tag state corresponds to the other of theactivated state or un-activated state; wherein the activated statecorresponds to a state in which the at least one RFID tag is operationaland the un-activated state corresponds to a state in which the RFID tagis less or differently operational than the activated state.
 18. Thearticle of manufacture as recited in claim 17, wherein the activatedstate corresponds to an operational state in which the at least one RFIDtag can perform operations including one or more of: collecting data,receiving transmitted data, or transmitting data.
 19. The article ofmanufacture as recited in claim 18, wherein the un-activated statecorresponds to a state in which the at least one RFID tag is notoperational.
 20. The article of manufacture as recited in claim 15,wherein the stretch-activated switch comprises: a first layercomprising: the ground contact; and the RFID enable contact; and asecond layer comprising: the contact; wherein the contact on the secondlayer is configured to span the ground contact and RFID enable contacton the first layer to ground the RFID enable contact so that the RFIDtag is in an un-activated state; and wherein the first and second layersare slidable relative to one another to slidably disengage the contacton the second layer from the RFID enable contact on the first layer sothat the RFID tag is in an activated state.